Crazy about carrots: Here are two recipes that will make your day

Hyderavad: Along with the cold weather, comes a welcome addition in the form of carrots. When I was young and was told by the doctor to eat as many carrots for good eyesight.

No one had to ever show me the stick to get me to eat this raw vegetable. Many trips to various hill stations over the years had me searching for vendors selling bunches of baby carrots which taste as good, if not better than the huge variety of fruit and wild berries sold there.

Carrots are as delicious as they are healthy. Carrots provide the finest and highest quality in nutrients, especially from their juice. It is an excellent source of pro-vitamin A, vitamins C, D, E, K, B1, and B6. Carrots contain anti-oxidants and are also rich in biotin, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, organic sodium, and some trace minerals.

They make a delicious accompaniment to roast meats and potatoes and can be added to stews, cutlets, sandwiches, raitas, and salads to ‘bulk up’ the dish in a healthy way. They are added to most health juices served at health bars and gyms.

Healthy Carrot, Raisin and Honey cake

Ingredients:

Oil for brushing

125g self-raising flour (Or maida with half a teaspoon of baking powder added)

125g wholemeal self-raising flour (or whole wheat flour with half a teaspoon of baking powder added)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

25g brown sugar

75g honey

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

125ml sunflower oil

4 carrots, peeled and grated

75g raisins

3 tablespoons milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a 10-inch round cake tin with greaseproof paper and brush with oil.

Place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar in a bowl and mix.

Put the honey, eggs, vanilla, and sunflower oil in a separate bowl and mix with a whisk. Add to the flour mixture and mix well.

Stir in the grated carrots and raisins with a spoon and add a little milk to give a fairly soft consistency.

Spoon this into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour. Check the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer into its center – it should come out clean.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then loosen the sides and turn out onto a wire rack. Remove the paper and leave to cool completely.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

Carrots - 1 kg

Condensed milk- 1 tin

Sugar- 150 grams

Ghee Or butter- 1 tablespoon

Cashew nuts, almonds and raisins- to decorate

Grate the carrot, and pressure cook with 1 cup water and 100g sugar for 5 minutes after the whistle on low flame. Remove from the fire and allow it to cool. Stir in condensed milk and add the remaining sugar. Transfer the mixture to a thick-bottomed pan and keep stirring on low heat till it thickens. Add ghee/butter and stir again till the condensed milk evaporates and it is of the right consistency. Remove from flame and garnish with chopped cashew nuts, almonds and raisins